Review of Fog of War

Fog of War is a documentary film about the life and times of Robert S. McNamara, who served in World War II, became president of Ford for a short time, and was the Secretary of Defense during part of the Cold War. Along with giving his telling of his stories, his gives his views and observation of the events that happen during that time. The film itself is broken into about 11 different parts or lessons that McNamara took away from that part and possible what the viewer should take away as well. Each of these lessons McNamara is sure to hit the point in which the title describes and each of these points are life lessons that have been taken away from the events told. The documentary is based around the interview of Robert S. McNamara at age eighty-five, and is added to by archival films and United States Cabinet recordings. These recordings give an insight to what was going in the heads of McNamara and different presidents at that time. The archival films help give an image to the events gone over and give correlation to them as well. This view into McNamara’s life helps give reason and answer to the events that are gone over in the film.
This documentary film gave me an insight to the events of both World Wars and the Cold War, both which I was not alive for. From only learning about these events from reading and other documentaries, hearing a view from someone so heavily invalid with these events help give a better understanding. McNamara explains the thought process that was going on at the time of each event and being in the position he was in at the time, Secretary of Defense, for some of the events, could tell how close to different outcome. This film does not try to change peoples opinions about McNamara or any events talked about but rather help give further insight to what happen and maybe the reason for some of the events. This documentary opened my eyes to some the things that happen in which I did not know did, like all the bombings in Japan. I had knowledge of that happening but not to the degree describe by McNamara. McNamara does not regret any of the decisions he made because at the time they needed to be made or felt like they were, but more over is that he goes on to say that he and people have learned from these events and should grow from there. He does also say that mistakes might happen once or twice in warfare but if a nuclear attack is done then there would be no mistake to learn from because it would be too late because that mistake would be too big of one.
In this documentary film, McNamara tells a part of his life and his observations of the events that took place. In the bigger picture of Human Rights, one might be able to come to a conclusion about whether these events were processed in the right way. McNamara said that MeLay said that if the United States did not win the war then they most likely would have been charged with war crimes from all the bombings. That in itself shows the way war works and how in the confusion of the mass chaos such things can happen and be gotten away with. This film helps see what needs to be pushed for in the field of Human Rights and want needs to be fixed, but like McNamara says we are going to change our human nature anytime soon. However taking from this documentary we can learn from our mistakes and make better choices before we make a mistake that is too big to come back from. Knowing our history is how we can push towards the future.